Firearm.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. G. BENNETT.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED 33.19, 1906.

PATBNTED NOV. 20, 1906.

T. G. BENNETT.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED 213.19, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I 'I '1 '1 1 I l I I l l i I I l I I l 1 l I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS G. BENNETT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS 00., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FIREARM- Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed February 19.1906. Serial No. 301.889.

ings constitute part of this specification, and

re resent, in

igure 1, a broken view in right-hand side elevation of a gun constructedin accordance with my invention, with its slidi fore-arm in its rearwardposition, whichun er my invention it occupies when the gun is ready forfiring and which therefore becomes its normal position; Fig. 2, a brokenview of the gun, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section,with the fore-arm in its forward posi- 't1on,1nto which it is movedpreparatoryto its .use for moving the breech-block rearward,

and so opening the gun; Fig. 3, a view of the gun in front e vation withparticular reference to showing the ore-arm tip; Fi 4, a view of the gunin vertical section on t e line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detached viewside elevation of the balanced breechblock; Fig. 6, a view thereof infront elevation; Fi 7, a detached view in side elevation of the sidingfore-arm; Fig. 8, a view thereof in front elevation; Fig. 9, a detachedview in side elevation of the fore-arm ti Fig. 10, a view thereof infront elevation; Fig. 1 1, a detached view of the washer-likelever-operating cam; Fig. 12, a view thereof in front elevation; Fig.13, a plan view of the operating-lever; Fig. 14, a view thereof in sideelevation.

My invention relatesto an impro vement in that class of guns having whatare known as balanced breech-blocks, as distinguished frombreech-closures positively held in their closed positions, so as to takethe thrust of recoil. Balanced breech-blocks as heretofore constructedhave been employed in automatic guns and made soas to move back underthe thrust of'recoil and in moving back 0 crate the breech mechanism ofthe gun, a alance being established between the thrust of recoil and theinertia of the mass of the block and the power of the block-closingspring and the power required to open the breech mechanism. In the of mypresent improvement the breec -block is balanced in the sense that itisnot positivel held in any way to take thethrust of recoi but soadjusted in weight and in the power of its spring to the thrust ofrecoil as to remain at rest in its closed position at the time the gunis fired.

The object of my invention isto produce a sim le, effective, and durablemanually-opera le balanced breech-block gun constructed with particularreference to having the breech-block remain at rest when,the gun isfired and to avoiding that naked and unsightly a pearance which proceedsfrom having the s iding fore-arm moved forward away from the receiverwhen the is closed and ready for being fired, as wel as to constructingthe sliding fore-arm so as to have the ap-- pearance of an ordinaryfixed fore-arm.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a gun having certaindetails of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carryin out my invention as herem shown I emp 0y a breech-block 2,having a long forward extension 3 made heavy enough in its entire mass,when reinforced by its closing-spring 4, to remain'at rest when the gunis fired. To accomplish thisresult, the block must be made heavier thanbalanced breech-blocks are generally made or have a closing-s ring ofsuperior power. For the rece tion ofithe spring 4 the extension 3 of thelock is formed with a concentric spring-chamber 5, entered through anopening 6. The forward end of the said spring abuts against a shoulder 7at the forward end of the said chamber 5, while its rear 'end abutsagainst the front face 8 of the gun frame or receiver 9. As herein shownthe gun is furnished with a tubular magazine 10, having its forward endsu ported by the gun-barrel 11 in any of the We l-known ways and havingits rear end inserted into a socket 12, formed in the receiver 9, therear end of this magazine being encircled by the spring 4, for which itforms a guide. The said magazine extends through the fore-arm ti 13, thesliding fore-arm 14, and the breec -bl0ck extension 3, its rear endopening through the breech-block 2 into the inside of the receiver .9through a feedopening 15-, formed therein. The cartridges when fed outof the opening 15 maybe lifted into position to be loadedintothegun-barrel 11 by an ordinary pivotalicartridge-carrier or by any othersuitable means. This mechanism forms no part of my present invention andis not shown or described. The fore-arm 14, which is suspended, as itwere, on the magazine on which it slides back and forth,

is normally retracted or held at the limit of its rearward position withits rear end abutted against the front face of the receiver-9, to thecrosssectio'nal-form of which it corres ondsincross sectionahform.Inother wor s,.the sliding forearm.- 14- though functioning as aslidingliandie hasin-rewlitythe-form and appearance of anordinary-fixed-fore-arm. T e sair'i fbrei-arm' co'acts with thebreech-block for manually o ening the same after every timetlie throughan operating-levefl l fijjliilng onrapivot 17 passing throughitsvfhrwardupper'cornerand mounted in the forearm tii 1%; which is'secured withinthe mam-ea oftlieforearm'bynieans of two transversely arranged screws18' 18- or in any otherequivalent' way." The heel 19 of the said-levee16' is engaged by a spring-plunger 20; mounted in'tlie fore arm tip 13and'exertmgaf constant effort tof-lift the cam-like rearend-'ofthele'verupward into its operatingpo tl1(-3"08;I11"22f to forcethe lever downward against the action of the spring plunger' 20andridezout of thelocking+notch24y when the saidplimger at oncereasserts itself and swings the lever 16' so as tolift its rear endinto'position to snap intothe coupling ndtch- 21 in-the extension 3as-soon as-theeontinued forward movement. of thehasbroughtthe-notch-into'1egistration the rear end of tlie-l'ever. Now whentheifore-- arm is drawn back with the lever so engaged with thebreech-block extension the'breechblock 2*wi1l* be'forcd back'into itsopen'position against thetensiori of its s' ring-4, which will becompressed. Just be re the forearm reaches thelimit ofv its rearwardmove-' ment the-beveled rear'wall 25 of' thelockingnotch 24 willengagewith the front face of the canr22 and the-lever will be forced down-Ward out of the' coupling-notch 21, thus disconnecting the forearm fromthe breechblock and leaving the s ring 4 free to assertitself todraw thebloc 2 forward into its ing a' bearing slee,v'e23- uponthe magazine 1 0closed position, in which the said spring holds it, the movement of theblock ingoing into its closed position being relied upon to push thefedand lifted'cartridge for-ward'into the gun-barrel. When the fore-arm 14completes its rearward movement, the cam 22 snaps into the locking-notch24, whereby the fore-arm is held in its retracted position.

I particularly wish to emphasize the point that under my improvedconstruction when the gun is ready for firing the fore-arm is retracted,giving the gun the externalappearance of'a gun with a fiXBd'fOIG-SIIII.

I claim- 1. Ina firearm, the combination with the receiver and thebarrel thereof, of'abreechblock balanced to remain in its closed ositionwhen the gun is fired, a breech-b ockclosing spring, a slidingfore-armnormally located atthe limit of its rearward excursion; and meanscarried thereby for o erably connectin the fore-armwith tlie reech-blockwhen t 'e'fore-arm is moved to-the limit of its 7 forward excursion.

2. Ina' gun, the combination with the-re ceiver and the barrel thereof,of a' breechblock balanced to remain in its closed osition when the gunis fired, a: breech-b ockclosing spring, asliding fore-arm normallylocated at the limit of itsrearward excursion, and an; operating=levermounted in the forearm and operabl connected withthe breechblock whenthe ore-arm reaches the limit of its forward excursion, whereby theblock 15- opened during the rearward excursion ofthe fore-arm. I

3. -'afirearm, the combination withthe receiver and barrel thereof,of'a'breech block balanced to remain in its closed position when the unis fired, a breech-bloclhclosmg s ring, as iding'fore-arm normallylocated-at v t "e limit' of its rearward excursion, and an o erati'nglever ivoted at itsforwardend- 1n t e fore-arm'an havingitsrear endadapted tobe o erabl-y connected with the breechblock w en the fore-armreaches thelirmt of its forward excursion, whereby when theforearm ismoved backthe'breec opened.

4. Ina-firearm,-

remain in its closedpositiomwhen the fired, abreech-'block-closingspring, as din fore-arm; and meansfore-arm at thelimit of its rearward movement and for connecting it with thebreechblock'at the limit of its forward movement, whereby the fore-armis moved into-its-for- IIO 6 vvi-llt the combination withthe i barre]thereof, of a 'breec'h-b'lbck balanced to yieldingly hold the wardposition preparatory to its use for manually o ening the gun after everytime the gums ed toopenthe same.

5. In a firearnn thecombinationwith the barrel thereof, of abreech-block having a forward extension and balanced to remain initsclosed position when the gun is fired,.a air-'- bular magazine onwhich the said forward extensionslides, a breech block closing spring, afore-arm sliding on the said magazine and normally located at the limitof its rearward excursion, and an operating-lever pivotally connected atits forward end to the said fore-arm and adapted to be operablyconnected with the forward extension of the balanced breech-block whenthe fore-arm is at the limit of its forward excursion.

6. In a firearm, the combination with the receiver thereof, of abreech-block, a spring therefor, a normally retracted sliding forearmconforming in cross-sectional form to the cross-sectional form of thereceiver against the front end of which its rear end is normallyabutted, and means interposed between the fore-arm and breech-block,whereby when the fore-arm is moved forward it is coupled with thebreech-block for manually moving the same rearward against the tensionof the spring and thus opening the gun.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS G. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, THOMAS C. JoHNsoN.

